Eating out can rack up quite the bill. Save some dough by drinking your own booze.
Sashimi Sashimi
Sashimi Sashimi serves up creative, delicious sushi at college budget-friendly prices, and believe it or not, it is BYOB too. Lunch combos, which include two maki rolls, a bowl of miso soup and a salad with ginger dressing, cost anywhere from $7.50 to $10.95. The best item on the menu, however, might fly under your radar. Sashimi’s Shiitake Mushroom Maki is bursting with flavor, costs just $4.25 and is a wonderful option for vegetarian friends. This quaint, casual sushi dive is a great place to grab some sushi to accompany your own bottle of wine. If you’re not of legal drinking age, Sashimi Sashimi also offers a variety of bubble teas including mango, passion fruit, red bean, lychee and coconut. No matter your age, there’s something here for everyone.
★★★
Mon–Fri 11:30am–10pm, Sun 1pm–9pm 640 Church Street — Evanston (847) 475-7274
Joy Yee’s
Joy Yee’s has everything. No, seriously, everything. Dishes from every Asian cuisine are packed onto this huge menu, from Thai curry rice noodle ($9.95-10.95) and Malayasian Beef ($11.95) to Korean BBQ short ribs ($12.95). The menu isn’t the only large thing here: the dishes, which cost around $10, are enough to feed two people, and the bubble teas are big enough to douse a small fire. If you run into trouble deciding on a dish, you can’t go wrong with the sesame chicken ($9.95), but the real stars at Joy Yee’s are the beef cubes with tomato sauce rice ($9.50) and governor’s chicken ($9.95). Just trust us. The service is fast, but the place can get really crowded some nights, so be ready for a rowdy time. Add in a couple bottles of beer and a few friends and it’s sure to be a good time.
★★★
Mon–Thurs 11:30am–10pm, Fri–Sat 11:30am–10:30pm, Sun 12pm–10pm 521 Davis Street — Evanston (847) 733-1900
The Olive Mountain
The Olive Mountain is a Middle Eastern restaurant focused on bold flavors and quality food. The prompt and friendly wait staff creates a relaxed and inviting dining experience and the refined but casual ambiance makes you want to linger. Olive Mountain is the perfect location for a meal after a ten-hour stint in the library, especially because its menu truly caters to the college crowd. The restaurant serves a variety of Middle-Eastern options like baba ganoush, Jerusalem salad, hummus (which is killer here), tabouleh, falafel and kabobs, and the portions are large enough to leave you with leftovers. As an added bonus, Olive Mountain offers WildCard discounts so meals end up being pretty inexpensive. Plus, bringing your own beer or wine allows you to forego jacked up alcohol prices. Check out the website before you go — the restaurant offers printable coupons.
★★★
Mon–Fri 11am–9pm, Sat 12pm–9pm, Sun 12pm–8pm 610 Davis Street — Evanston (847) 475-0380
Caro Mio
The atmosphere of Caro Mio is intimate and relaxed. The scene is great for a group dinner with friends or for a romantic evening. All of the food is outstanding, but two standout appetizer dishes are the pizza bread ($6.95), which is baked with mozzarella, Parmesan, tomatoes, oregano and marinara sauce, and the polenta al sugo ($8.95), which is grilled polenta topped with ragú sauce and Parmesan cheese. The pizza bread is crunchy with just the right amount of oil, and the texture on the polenta is firm with a light touch of cheese to balance out the flavors. As for main courses, the gnocchi gratinati ($19.95) with Bolognese sauce and baked mozzarella cheese is a true delight paired with a glass of pinot noir, and the pasta carbonera ($16.95-$20.95) with pancetta, egg yolk and Parmesan has a rich, hearty texture. Apart from a wide selection of pasta, the salmone portofino ($20.95), sautéed with balsamic, honey, green onions and pine nuts satiates a sweet tooth, and the pollo vesuvio ($17.95), prepared with potato wedges, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and white wine is light, juicy and refreshing. While it’s challenging not to gorge yourself on Italian entrées and appetizers, save room for Caro Mio’s chocolate soufflé ($7) and espresso sorbet ($7). If you plan a party here, check out the special party menu, which is $33.95 per person. The restaurant holds up to 45 people on weeknights and will even rent out the entire restaurant for a larger occasion.
★★★★
Mon-Thurs 4pm–10pm, Fri–Sat 4pm–11pm, Sun 3pm–9pm 1825 West Wilson and Wolcott Avenue — Chicago (773) 275-5000
La Sierra
Serving an eclectic mix of Ecuadorian, Mexican and South American dishes, La Sierra is definitely not your average taco joint. The restaurant uses fresh, high-quality ingredients to make authentic dishes and has quick, friendly service to boot. Start off with the creamy guacamole with homemade tortilla chips ($6.50) and the humita ($2.50), a traditional Ecuadorian food similar to a tamale stuffed with cheese. For entrées, order the carne asada ($12.99), and if you want to go the Ecuadorian route, the carne con maduros ($12.99), which is strip steak served with sweet plantains, white rice and salad. This BYOB joint has all the perks: great food, no corkage fee and a liquor store conveniently located right down the street. There’s surprisingly never much of a wait for this hidden gem, and with the decent prices, clean interior and easy nearby street parking, it’s a destination to visit.
★★★★
Mon–Thurs 5pm–10:30pm, Fri 5pm–11:30pm, Sat 3pm–11:30pm, Sun 12pm–11pm 1637 West Montrose Avenue — Chicago (773) 549-5538
Todoroki
Todoroki is an upbeat hibachi and sushi restaurant nestled in the heart of Evanston. The establishment offers a variety of seating options including Japanese-style tables low to the ground, traditional tabletops, bar seats and the hibachi grill. With so many options, you can have an intimate dinner, a loud birthday celebration, or a fun BYOB gathering with friends. What makes Todoroki unique is its “All-You-Can Eat” menu, which clocks in at just $19.95 with your WildCard. If you can’t stomach that big of a meal, order anything from hot appetizers, soups and salads to sushi (rolls and sashimi) from the regular menu.
★★★
Mon-Thurs 11:30am–10pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am–11pm, Sun 12pm–9:30pm 526 Davis Street — Evanston (847) 750-6565 Note: No fee on Mondays, and no BYOB Thurs–Sun
Tango Sur
If you’re looking for a dark, trendy restaurant, quality ethnic food and a good cut of meat that all falls within a college budget, this Argentine steak house is for you. With seven different parilla (grill) options, like the asada de tira (short ribs) and the churrasco (12 oz. sirloin steak), Tango Sur will certainly satisfy your hunger for beefy goodness. If you’re not a beef fan, there are delicious chicken options and pastas to choose from as well. For starters, we recommend the jamon crudo con palmito y salsa golf, which is hearts of palm wrapped in prosciutto, and the beef empanadas, which are Argentine turnovers. Tango Sur doesn’t take reservations and the line can get long, but once your name is on the waitlist, use the extra time to swing by Jewel to pick up a bottle of wine. If you came prepared, you can simply wait in the sitting room, where you can enjoy the drinks you brought until your table is ready.
★★★★
Mon–Thurs 5pm–10:30pm, Fri 5pm–11:30pm, Sat 3pm–11:30pm, Sun 12pm–11pm 3763 North Southport Avenue — Chicago (773) 477-5466
Wasabi
Forget those sad instant ramen bowls stacked in the corner of your dorm room. Authentic Japanese ramen is a whole other experience altogether, and Wasabi offers some of Chicago’s best. Try the popular spicy garlic miso ramen ($14), which comes with springy egg noodles, tender pork, egg and other delicious goodies swimming in a rich pork bone broth that takes more than 20 hours to develop. Customers have the option to add extra ingredients to their ramen for an additional cost, so you can customize your dish any way you want. Along with the ramen, try the flavorful uni shooters ($5) or the agadashi tofu ($6.50), which is deep fried tofu with dashi broth. Wasabi also offers standard sushi fare, but the real star here is the ramen — and the fact that it’s BYOB.
★★★★
Mon–Thurs 5pm–10:30pm, Fri 5pm–11:30pm, Sat 3pm–11:30pm, Sun 12pm–11pm 2539 North Milwaukee Avenue — Chicago (773) 227-8180